It’s a ballet bonanza! In just the first five months of the new year, seven major ballet programs are coming to San Diego stages. The unusual wealth of offerings should warm the hearts of balletomanes, but far more than that, it provides a terrific opportunity to experience the rich variety of dance that, these days, goes under the umbrella of “ballet.”

The lineup runs the gamut from 19th-century classics to work by three continent-spanning artists who are in the top ranks of contemporary dance makers: William Forsythe, an American who works in Germany; Englishman Christopher Wheeldon, who’s based in New York; and Aussie Stanton Welsh, who directs the Houston Ballet.

And there’s more, including the premiere of “Don Juan,” a new work by San Diego Ballet’s Javier Velasco, and a look at some promising choreographers emerging on the national scene.

Given the prominence of ballet in 2013, the first two things to watch are touring and local ballet companies. We turn to modern dance for the third highlight, a buzz-generating company that’s making its area debut in Temecula.

Ballet on tour

For anyone whose idea of ballet is classical story ballets, the companies touring here won’t just push the envelope, they’ll turn it inside out. Forsythe, in particular, re-imagined the ballet vocabulary, and his sinuous, rubber-jointed style has influenced scores of choreographers. His 1987 classic “In the middle, somewhat elevated,” as well as works by Wheeldon and Welsh, will be performed here by the Joffrey Ballet, presented by La Jolla Music Society on Jan. 29.

On Feb. 28, ArtPower! presents BalletX in its San Diego premiere. Founded just eight years ago, the Philadelphia company has sought out emerging choreographers like Alex Ketley and Tobin del Cuore, whose dances will be on the program here.

Also on tap this spring is the Trey McIntyre Company doing its whimsical “Ma Maison” to live music, when La Jolla Music Society presents the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on April 20.

Homegrown ballet

All three of San Diego’s professional ballet troupes are doing major story ballets. First up is San Diego Ballet, whose “Don Juan” (Feb. 14-17) offers dual pleasures: It’s a premiere by the inventive Javier Velasco, and it features Bolshoi veteran Maxim Tchernychev in the title role.

For beloved classics, City Ballet of San Diego offers “Giselle” March 8-10, and California Ballet is doing “Swan Lake” May 18-19. City Ballet is also doing a May 3-5 “Carmina Burana,” where the plan is to have a live chorus as well as orchestra; that program also includes “The Seasons” to music by Vivaldi.

A critic’s note: The local fare looks more than a little conservative compared with what’s being done by the touring troupes — and, by extension, what’s happening in the larger world of ballet. One can fault our companies for being too cautious, but they have to fill the seats. The real challenge is for audiences here to become more adventurous. Perhaps one benefit of the touring companies will be building an audience for cutting-edge ballet.

Gallim Dance

The dance series at the Old Town Temecula Theatre has presented a number of major area debuts, and March 22-23 they’re doing it again, with Gallim Dance. Gallim was founded in 2007 by Andrea Miller, an American modern dance artist whose background includes dancing with Israel’s famed Batsheva company. In just six years, Miller has gained a reputation as an important young dance maker. I caught some of her ferociously athletic choreography at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and can’t wait to see more.